4 times when one vote really mattered

What is the likelihood that the presidential election be decided by one person’s vote in one swing state that would elect a commander in chief? Really, really small. But it’s not like one vote had never mattered before.

Storified by Digital First Media · Tue, Nov 06 2012 15:32:55

What is the likelihood that the presidential election be decided by one person’s vote in one swing state that would decide the presidential election? Really, really small. But one vote can matter. Here are four examples.

Usa-presidents

The closest we’ve ever come to having such a scenario unfold was in 1876, when one electoralvote made the difference.

Democrat Samuel Tilden won the popular vote. However, he fell one vote shy of winning the Electoral College. Twenty votes from four states were disputed, and Rutherford B. Hayes happened to be 20 votes behind Tilden. After a long dispute, and a deal that ended Reconstruction in the South, those votes went to Hayes.

The Impeachment of Andrew Johnsonyoungcricketkun

Twelve years earlier, Andrew Johnson came one vote shy ofgetting kicked out of the White House. In 1868, the 17th president was charged withviolating the Tenure of Office act, and was tried and impeached by a hostile House of Representatives. The Senate, charged with deciding the fate of the president, fell one vote shy of removing him from office.

Schoolnet

InGermany, Konrad Adenauer, the first chancellor of post-war West Germany, waselected by one vote. In order to be elected, Adenauer needed an absolutemajority. With 402 seats, he cast the 202nd vote – for himself,naturally.

19th amendment – Governmentteenxxxangst

In 1920, the 19th Amendment to theConstitution was making its way through the state legislatures. It had to beratified by 36 states in order to be adopted. In Tennessee, the decision onwhether or not women should vote came down to a state legislator named HarryBurn, who had previously said he would vote against suffrage. He cast the 49th and deciding vote.